Trip from Itanagar to Tawang

General Information About Tawang

Tawang is chilly, and you will need at least 2 days to see Tawang properly, maybe three. So be prepared with woolens and time. Tawang, the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, is one of the most beautiful places in Arunachal Pradesh and is located at a height of around 10,000 ft above sea level.

History amid natural beauty, is how Tawang can be described. The massive and very impressive Tawang Monastery- the second largest (after the original one in Lhasa) in Asia, and the largest in the country - is majestically the top draw for tourists. Tawang itself is enclosed within the Gudpi and Chonog- Chugmi ranges and the Tawang Chu river. The Tawang Valley is an important seat of Mahayana Buddhism. The monastery controls 17 Gompas in the region. The most imposing part of the Monastery is the three storied assembly hall which houses the temple and the 28 ft high Golden Statue of Buddha. The monastery has a big library having an impression collection of ancient books and manuscripts where the famous Buddhist scriptures Kangyur and Tangyur inscribed in glod are preserved.

The Sangetsar Lake was formed in the valley when a flash storm broke off a part of a mountain in 1970, and the rocks formed a natural dam at the meeting of four streams. After the shooting of the film Koyla, localities began calling this "Madhuri Lake". This beautiful place is close to the Chinese border and a few mountains of China can be seen.

It is home to snow pigeons and mush deer. Visit Urgyelling, which is the birthplace of Thangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama. Bramadung Chung/ Sengsarbu Ani Gompa, Gyanggong Ani Gompa are nunneries/ monastries run by nuns. The Ani Gompas are among the oldest of such type in the country.

The best time to visit the destination is in May, when the roads are open and you will get to see the bloom while visting Sangetsar lake.